8 universal truths that can make your writing easier

As they endlessly say in meetings, “It is what it is.”

The world is a certain way, and you can only change parts of it. The rest of success is accepting reality and dealing well with it.

This is especially true for writing, as this post from Publication Coach says, at 9 mental models to help you write smarter, not harder. (I left out one that I didn’t think applied to fundraising writing as well. Sorry.)

1. Parkinson’s Law. Tasks expand to fill the time available. This especially applies to writing tasks. That’s why it’s often smart to work under a tight deadline. You’ll work faster.
2. The Crappy First Draft Principle. There’s really no way around it: Your first draft is crappy. When you embrace that, you are free from the unrealistic expectation to have a good first draft — or good writing from only one draft. Just let that first draft be ragged and messy. Then fix it later.
3. Nothing New Under the Sun. The chance you’ll ever say something truly new and unique is small. Really small. Get used to it. What makes your piece worthwhile is your spin on something that’s been said already.
4. The Growth Mindset. Great writers aren’t born that way. They get there by growing into it. (They may seem like they were born that way; it’s an illusion. One that they may encourage.) You can be great too by believing in growth: work hard, believe in change, embrace challenges, welcome feedback. That’s how you get great at writing.
5. The Pareto Principle (The 80/20 Rule). In writing, the Pareto Principle means: Most of your productivity happens in a small amount of time. Your best work comes in bursts of activity. You can’t eliminate the 80% that only produces 20%. But when you embrace the truth, you can get more from the 20%.
6. First Principles Thinking. It helps to break a writing project into its basic elements by asking yourself: What is my core purpose here? What is the simplest way to say it?
7. Occam’s Razor. The simplest explanation is almost always the best. Keep it simple! If it’s complex, you are probably on the wrong path.
8. Law of Diminishing Returns. Writing well is a lot of work. But eventually, more work gives you smaller and smaller improvements. Recognize when you can stop editing. Favor productivity over perfection.